Restrictions On Water Use Will Continue Despite Storms

July 20, 1985|The Morning Call

Drought conditions are still at emergency levels in 16 eastern Pennsylvania counties and water use restrictions will continue to be imposed despite heavy thunderstorms in the northern region of the state.

Department of Environmental Resources secretary Nicholas DeBenedictis said Thursday that the southern portion of the Delaware Water Basin did not receive as much rain. It is evident by the low flow of the Schuylkill River "which is only 28 percent of its normal flow for this time of the year."

While recent storms have maintained the flow in the Lehigh River at about the same level for the past month, the total flows on the Delaware River has decreased by one-half of its flows last month.

Results of the latest drought study for the Delaware water basin compiled by DER indicate precipitation deficits at emergency levels in Carbon, Montgomery, and Bucks counties. Carbon reported the highest deficit of 15.93 inches followed by Bucks at 15.22 and Montgomery at 15.12.

Monroe, Schuylkill, Lehigh, Berks and Northampton counties recorded precipitation deficits at the warning level with deficits, in inches of 14.03, 13.56, 12.79, 11.50 and 11.26 respectively.